Stripper for coin mailers



Aug. 18, 1959 J. J. MORO-LIN 2,900,097

STRIPPER FOR COIN MAILERS Filed Nov. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug; 18, 1959- J J o o- 2,900,097

STRIPPER FOR COIN MAILERS Filed Nov. 10, 1958 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C/Zsqai cZ Mro-Zzz United States Patent 2,900,097 7 sTRIPPER Fort com Joseph J. Moro-Lin, Fair Lawn,- NJ. 7 Application November 10,1958,-Sefial'No. 172,999

' 3 Claims. (ct. 214- 310 This invention deals with a machine for stripping coins out of the conventional cardboard coin mailers in which coins now are often mailed. Such coin mailers generally consist of a cardboard sheet backing towhich is glued a slotted sheet having openings into which coins may be inserted (between the two laminations) prior to mailing.

Coin mailers are coming into continually growing use. Concerns receiving large numbers of such items employ manual help in removing the coins by means of the fingers. The operation is tedious and usually results in complaints of broken finger nails and sore finger tips. This manual removal also often results in loss of coins due to ineflicient and slipshod stripping.

The present invention deals with a machine, which.

may be hand or motor driven, for stripping the coins from such mailers eificiently, rapidly and efiectively. It further deals with a coin stripping means requiring no adjustment for the size of the coins to be stripped.

In copending'application Serial No. 744,578, filed on June 25, 1958, now abandoned, by Joseph J. Moro-Lin, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, there is described a machine for stripping coins from a coil mailer wherein the mailer tip is inserted in an axially-F directed peripheral slot on a rotatable roller or drum. The drum is rotated until the coin-filled mailer passes under a guide disposed adjacent to said roller. Thereafter, the mailer meets a knife blade disposed near its exposed surface and, as the roller is turned, the edges of the coins projecting from the slots in the mailer tangentially to the drum are caught by the knife edge and the coins are torn out of the mailer and collected in a container.

The stripping of the coins from the mailer may be effected by means of a knife blade such as that described in the aforesaid application Serial No. 744,578, and also herein. Such a knife blade requires adjustment for various clearances, depending upon the size of the coins in the row being stripped. However, one feature of the present invention involves the use of a series of spring ejectors as coin stripping means, rather than a knife, such ejectors comprising preferably flat springs having protruding ends directed adjacent the mailer and designed to catch the protruding edges of coins, regardless of size, so that adjustment for coins is unnecessary.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 presents a front view of a preferred embodiment of a machine of the present invention, 'with forward portions in front of the drum cut away. A cross-sectional side view of a machine similar to that in Figure 1, with a portion of the housing and guide cut away, is depicted in Figure 2. Figure 3 presents a cross-sectional side view of the essential operating parts of the preferred embodiment in the first phase of the stripping operation. Figure sive stages of the coin stripping operation.

4 is a front view of the central portion of the mounted stripping means employed in the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, while Figures 6 and 7 illustrate views similar to those in Figures 3 and 5, but in succes- Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 1 represents a housing having bearings 3 in which rides shaft 2 located in the center of roller or drum 4. Attached to one end of shaft 2 is handle 5 forturning roller 4 in bearings 3. It is to be understood that shaft 2 may be motor driven, if desired. Cut out or pressed into the outer periphery of roller 4' is an axially-directed "groove 6 into which may be inserted the end of cardboard mailer 7 towards which exposed'edges 13 of coin 13' project. Roller 4 may be made in hollow form from heavy sheet iron or cast metal, with groove 6 about inch deep, the groove being preferably to inch in width. Roller 4 also is provided with a radially-constricted portion 8 near or at its center, adapted to enable groove clearing hook 9 to ride therein. The base 8' of the constricted portion 8 is preferably flat and is disposed at a point lower than the bottom of groove 6 so as to enable- Disposed on the opposite side of drum 4 from hook 9 is ejector or stripping knife 11 having its: ends attached to housing 1 by screws 12. The purpose of drum 4 is to expose ends 13 of the coins 13' so that they project in a plane tangential to the drum periphery, thereby making it possible for the edge of knife '11 to grip the coin ends, strip them out of mailer 7 and eject them against baflie 19, for example, after which the ejected coins 13' fall into chute 14 and finally into container 15. Chute 14 also may be attached to the sides of housing 1 by means of screws 12.

Hook 9 is positioned at a point such that the mailer is completely stripped of coins by the time hook 9 engages its end anchored in groove 6.

Disposed above knife 11 is a rounded guide or positioner 16, the ends of which may be attached to the sides of housing 1 by means of screws 17 (Fig. 2) or the upper edge 18 of guide 16 may be turned and pressed against a cross-member 24 having its ends welded to the sides of housing 1 (Figs. 3 and 5-7). A portion of the surface of guide 16 against which mailer 7 rubs may be coated with a velvety surface 18, if desired. The rounded or convex-curved portion 16 of the guide faces drum 4 and serves to hold mailer 7 against the drum as the latter is rotated. When a blade such as stripper 11 is employed, guide 16 may be provided with a turned-down end 19 to serve as a baflie which prevents over-riding of coins 13 and directs them into chute 14.

Instead of using blade 11, it is possible to strip the coins out of mailer 7 by means of a series of flat springs 21 (Fig. 4) mounted on a bar 20 which likewise may have its ends attached to the sides of housing 1. A preferred form of spring, depicted in Figures 3 and 5-7, comprises an arcuate portion 21 having one end anchored in slot 23 in bar 20 (Fig. 3), and the other end comprising a straight portion 21 terminating in a projecting tip or hook 22 directed toward mailer 7 and disposed adjacent thereto.

When springs 21 are in the direction shown in Figure 3, and as projecting edges 13 of the coins contact spring projections 22, the springs catch hold of and restrain the coins while drum 4 is rotated, causing successive tearing out of coins 13' out of the upper lamination 7a of mailer 7 (Figures 5-7), eventually causing coins 13 to drop into chute 14 for collection.

As drum 4 is continued to be turned, the edge 13a (Fig. 7) of mailer 7 anchored in groove 6 is caught by hook 9 riding in constriction 8. Hook 9 then pulls stripped mailer 7 out of groove 6, making the unit ready to receive another mailer for coin stripping.

I claim:

1. A coin stripper for removing coins from laminated coin mailers having slots in the upper lamination into which coins are inserted and held between laminations, comprising a housing, a rotatable drum mounted on a shaft riding in said housing, a narrow axially-directed groove disposed in the periphery of said roller and of dimensions adequate to accommodate and anchor the edge of a coin filled mailer, a guide mounted i said housing adjacent said drum and designed to hold the mailer close to the drum While it is rotating so that the coin ends 'project out of said slots tangentially to said drum, coin engaging means mounted on said housing and disposed adjacent said drum and designed to engage the projecting coin ends below said guide and to restrain them while said drum is rotating whereby said coins are torn out of said mailer, and means for rotating said drum in the direction of said coin engaging means.

2. A coin stripper according to claim 1 in which the drum has a radially-constricted portion near its center, the bottom of which portion is lower than the bottom of said groove, and engaging means for said anchored mailer end, mounted on said housing and riding in said drum constricted portion at a point far enough away from said coin engaging means to insure that all coins have been removed from said mailer before engagement of said mailer end, and designed to pull said mailer out of said slot while said drum is rotated.

3. A coin stripper according to claim 1 in which a bar is mounted in said housing and parallel to said drum, a series of springs projecting from said bar toward said drum, and coin engaging ends projecting from said springs and disposed toward and adjacent said drum below said guide and designed to engage the coin ends as the drum is rotated and restrain said coins until they are torn out of said mailer.

No references cited. 

